As we work towards becoming a more environmentally conscious society, electric vehicles and hybrid cars (AKA “green” cars) are becoming increasingly more common. There’s even a federal tax incentive for those who purchase new electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles, meant to encourage the normalization of eco-friendly cars.
GreenerCars.org is a website run by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) that’s dedicated to ranking the eco-friendliness of cars based on each vehicle’s “cradle-to-grave” impact on the environment. This means that the organization factors in vehicle mass, battery mass and composition, materials used during manufacturing, fuel efficiency, fuel type, pollution from manufacturing, pollution from the production and distribution of fuel, pollution from tailpipe emissions and the environmental impact the car will have once it is disposed of to calculate a car’s Environmental Damage Index (EDX). A lower EDX means a more environmentally friendly car. The EDX is then converted to a “Green Score.” Cars can score from 0-100 and the higher the Green Score, the better the car is for the environment.
Here are the top five eco-friendly cars of 2021, according to GreenerCars.org.
5. Nissan Leaf
- Power Train: Electric Vehicle (EV)
- EDX: 0.66
- Green Score: 68
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4. BMW i3s
- Power Train: EV
- EDX: 0.65
- Green Score: 68
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3. Toyota Prius Prime
- Power Train: Plug-In Hybrid
- EDX: 0.64
- Green Score: 68
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2. Mini Cooper SE Hardtop 2 Door
- Power Train: EV
- EDX: 0.61
- Green Score: 70
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1. Hyundai Ioniq Electric
- Power Train: EV
- EDX: 0.60
- Green Score: 70
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Honorable Mention: Mustang Mach-E
Named 2021 Best Eco-Friendly Car of the Year by Cars.com and 2021 Green Car of the Year by GreenCarJournal.com, the electric Mustang Mach-E comes in five models, each with different Green Scores.
When it comes to sustainable cars, buying an electric vehicle might seem like the obvious choice. However, electric cars can also be a big responsibility. If you want a practical, eco-friendly car but are not yet ready to commit to a fully electric vehicle, there are tons of hybrids out there that are better for the environment than gas-guzzlers. For information on the greenest hybrids of 2021, check out the full “Greenest” list and the “Greener Choices” list on GreenerCars.org.
Happy Earth Day!
